India’s soft power is not limited to a slew of well-made feature films across languages, or the treasure trove of the traditional arts, music and dance – but creativity infused into the big Hollywood movies that are being processed here in Namma Bengaluru and a few cities in neighbouring states.

Yes, there are many highly creative and talented IT and high-tech companies that are into film processing, graphics and VFX special effort and the like that make the films what they are – larger than life, with intricate details of film settings, locales, peoples, animations, music and sounds – most of them created on computers and compuer-aided machines, manned by a team of personnel equipped with a confluence of technical skills and the creative arts.

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And it is not just music, dance, and entertainment that the cutting-edge technologies that Bengaluru hosts in plenty — the gaming scene is also the in-thing going by the people and profits the whole aspect of a relatively new technology business that gets generated in the IT capital of India.

It is not for nothing that Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge wants to make Bengaluru and Karnataka a leader and an e-sports hub, as this sector proves its promise of rising popularity in the country. E-sports is just one of the many aspects of the confluence of cutting-edge technology and the arts, showcased at the Karnataka government’s GAFX 2025 conference, which kicked off on Thursday.

Inaugurating the three-day congregation of the World’s Whos Who of the entertainment industry, high technology, Information Technology, Gaming and creative arts, Karnataka IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge said that the Karnataka government will be doing everything it can to tap into the potential of these sectors, and also equip the youth with the skills, and even by reskilling where needed, to ensure that India gets to realise the population dividend that makes it a country with distinctive advantage in several sectors and services where personnel and quality of personnel is the key ingredient for success.

Setting his sights on making Karnataka the leading e-sports hub, he said, “This year, I am hopeful that we will be hosting our own National Esports Festival. I intend to hold the nation’s and perhaps Asia’s biggest esports festival for our gaming community.”

The Indian esports market is expected to reach $919 million by 2033, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.42 percent between 2025-2033, according to market research firm IMARC Group.

The conference is hosting the final competition for an esports national championship wherein the country’s top four esports teams from different regions are battling it out on the Counter-Strike 2 title.

In his inaugural address at the Bengaluru GAFX 2025 conference, the minister hoped that the young and bright minds present at the congregation will make the best use of the opportunities unleashed by the confluence of such talents and ideas at the three-day meet.

The GAFX conference, now in its sixth edition, is organised by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology and Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka, in collaboration with non-profit organisation ABAI.

Targeted at the fast-growing animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality (AVGC-XR) industry, Bengaluru GAFX 2025 is expected to attract over 20,000 attendees.

Bengaluru GAFX 2025 is also hosting an investor connect initiative, Kharge said, wherein over 25 leading investors are engaging with 50 AVGC-XR startups, offering funding and mentorship opportunities.

These measures come as Karnataka aims to become the frontrunner in this space, amid growing competition from other states such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Kerala.

Kharge also wants Karnataka to be a major contributor to India’s ambition of becoming a global leader in the sector.

“Our professionals are not just contributing to global projects—they are leading them, bringing unique perspectives and unmatched expertise to the forefront. In animation and visual effects, Indian artists are instrumental in delivering cutting-edge visuals for domestic and international productions. Our contributions have garnered global acclaim, positioning India as a hub of high-quality animation and VFX services,” Priyank Kharge said.

The Karnataka government is also establishing a Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), bringing together France, Australia, the United Kingdom, Scotland, Uzbekistan, and Italy to foster global collaborations in AVGC-XR.

Last year, the Karnataka government earmarked Rs 150 crore for its revised AVGC-XR policy for the year 2024-2029. Through the policy, which was first announced in 2023 and launched in 2024, the state government aims to generate 50,000 jobs over the next three to four years.

“By leveraging the potential of both the policy, the policymakers, and the private sector, we can drive innovation, expand opportunities for creative professionals, and ultimately generate a significant number of jobs”

“This will not only benefit individual creators but also strengthen the broader economic landscape by encouraging entrepreneurship, digital transformation, and consistent growth in the sector,” he said.

The government is also looking to create a talent pool by transforming the state into a centre of excellence for AVGC-related skills and ensure that exports constitute at least 80 percent of the sector’s total revenue. The gaming Centre of Excellence (CoE) is expected to serve as the destination for innovation, research, and development in the gaming sector.

Also in the works is an AVGC-XR Park that will offer production studios, incubation spaces, and research facilities, said Dr Ekroop Caur, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, BT, Science & Technology.

“By 2029, we aim for a 30 percent increase in operational efficiency, a 20 percent boost in creative output, and a 25 percent expansion in digital marketing reach,” she said.

Karnataka is home to over 300 AVGC studios and more than 15,000 professionals. Caur said, “With India’s 500 million gamers, Karnataka leads with the highest number of gaming start-ups, positioning Bengaluru as the hub for next-gen game development. Our AVGC-XR fund, the first of its kind in India, supports start-ups and SMEs with investments up to Rs 2 crore,” she said.